Is Fear Is Holding You Back?

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CURRENT TEACHING SERIES                                                           Essentials For Living

Is Fear Is Holding You Back? By Rick Warren — Aug 24, 2015 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV) What keeps you from developing your full potential? Fear. What keeps you from becoming all God wants you to be? Fear. What keeps you from building a legacy that will last into eternity? Fear. There are three kinds of fear that will keep you from developing your talents and accomplishing your purpose. Self-doubt. It keeps people locked in a prison and unable to develop their potential. This is actually the fear of failure. But failure is not fatal! In fact, the fear of failure is far worse than failure itself. Failure is actually a good thing. Failure is how you learn what doesn’t work. And it’s how you grow into a better parent, partner, and professional. Don’t let self-doubt keep you down. I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than attempt to do nothing and succeed. Self-consciousness. If you worry about what other people think, nothing will ever get done in your life. You just have to do what God tells you to do. That’s all you’re accountable for. You’re not called to be the best in the world. You’re called to be the best that God made you to be. Self-pity. There were two disciples that had spectacular failures. Peter and Judas both denied Jesus in clutch time, but they responded to their failure in very different ways. Judas went out and had a pity party and hung himself. Peter, on the other hand, wept bitterly, grieved about it, repented, asked God to forgive him, picked himself up, and went back to serving God. And 40 days later, Peter spoke to the whole city of Jerusalem on Pentecost, and 3,000 people became believers and the Church was born. Of all the people God could have used to start the church, he used the guy with the biggest failure. That means there’s room for you in the family of God! Instead of living in fear, believe what God says about you in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (NIV). PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over In what part of your life are you concerned about other people’s opinion of you? How has your self-doubt kept you from reaching your potential? Why are we so afraid of failure? What failure in your life has kept you from reaching your potential? What purpose do you think God intended for that failure? Today’s Scripture “He changes times and seasons...” (Daniel 2:21, NIV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS New Times and Seasons God is always looking to take us to higher levels. He wants us to grow and increase in every area. Change is often a catalyst for growth in our lives; it keeps us from getting stuck in a rut. Sometimes, in order help keep us on our path toward our destiny, God will supernaturally open and close doors of opportunity. He will “stir us” out of comfortable situations and stretch us because He loves us too much to allow us to live in mediocrity. Do you know how an eaglet learns to fly? That mother eagle will take her eaglet to the very highest point—way out of its comfort zone—and then she just releases it. As the eaglet falls, the mother swoops down and picks it up again. She does this over and over until the eaglet spreads its wings and soars through the air. That’s what God wants for you today. He wants you to soar in life! You might feel like that eaglet learning to fly, but know that God is right there with you! He is bringing you new times and seasons so that you will grow and embrace the very best He has in store for you! A Prayer for Today “Dear God, today I open my heart and mind to receive all that You have for me. I trust that You are with me directing my every step. I embrace Your seasons of change and thank You for helping me grow in every area in Jesus’ name. Amen.”